DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE HEARS FURTHER STATEMENTS ON DRAFT NUCLEAR TEST-BAN TREATY
Press Release
DCF/255
DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE HEARS FURTHER STATEMENTS ON DRAFT NUCLEAR TEST-BAN TREATY
19960307 Also Receives Message on International Women's DayGENEVA, 7 March (UN Information Service) -- The Russian Federation had been consistently in favour of a complete and general nuclear test ban and considered such a measure an overdue and important step to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and their qualitative improvement, stated that country's representative to the Conference on Disarmament this morning. There was now a real possibility that work on the comprehensive nuclear test- ban treaty (CTBT) in 1996, although it was obvious that the CTBT would not by itself lead to the complete elimination of nuclear weapons.
The representative of Cuba stated that an ad hoc committee should be established as soon as possible in order to address the question of nuclear disarmament within a given time-frame. What did the nuclear States fear, after the East-West conflict had disappeared? he asked. Why were they maintaining the same military doctrines? They should dedicate the colossal sums now being spent on armaments to more suitable purposes, such as helping the countless children in Africa, Asia and Latin America who were dying from lack of medicines and food.
Kenya's representative said it was imperative that the Conference strove diligently in order to arrive at a consensus on all outstanding issues with regard to the draft CTBT. The representative of Brazil announced that on 27 February the Brazilian Congress had decided to approve the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and of Their Destruction.
Also this morning, Vladimir Petrovsky, Secretary-General of the Conference and Personal Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, read out a message from a group of 14 non-governmental women's organizations in connection with International Women's Day.
The representatives of Belgium, speaking on behalf of the Western Group of States, Hungary, speaking for the Eastern Group of States, Algeria, speaking for the Group of 21, China and Iran welcomed the non-governmental organization statement. Iran, referring to the changed international
situation, requested the President to consider the possibility of enhancing the participation of non-governmental organizations in the work of the Conference. The President announced that the question was under active consideration and had been referred to the regional groups.
International Women's Day Message
In a statement from women from different countries and organizations, gathered in Geneva at the annual seminar for International Women's Day, the non-governmental organizations expressed the hope that 1996 would be remembered for the successful completion of the CTBT. After 42 years of campaigning for the CTBT, they were encouraged by the progress the Conference was making in finalizing the treaty. They urged the Conference to do its utmost to fulfil the expectations of the women and men of the world who had clearly demonstrated that nuclear testing was not acceptable. A zero-yield test-ban was the first step towards eradicating those atrocious weapons. They trusted the treaty would be a true comprehensive test ban. To allow for any kind of nuclear explosion would undermine the credibility of the whole treaty. As chemical and biological weapons were prohibited, so must nuclear weapons be prohibited.
The focus of this year's non-governmental organization seminar was the issue of conversion, which they considered to be an essential, practical component for effective disarmament, the statement said. In this, the International Year of the Eradication of Poverty, they were called to work to reclaim society's investment into the military in order to move from a costly culture of war to an equitable culture of peace. Conversion was about moving away from military priorities without creating unemployment and toxic or unusable land.
Conversion was not only about the conversion of military spending and military industry to civilian use, it was also about employment, social justice and environmental restoration, the statement continued. A comprehensive strategy for peace and disarmament involved promoting industrial and political shifts, which were the necessary preconditions for transforming present military priorities. The move towards real security could be realized by committing to an actual peace dividend. They should now decide to change the culture of violence that was enshrined by vast amounts of weaponry.
The statement went on to say the ongoing disarmament work done by non- governmental organizations on issues such as land-mines and nuclear testing could only complement the Conference's ongoing work on disarmament. To that end, they urged the Conference on Disarmament to consider enlarging the role of non-governmental organizations in its work. Their work represented the voices of many women around the world who were active at local and national levels working to strengthen awareness and action on disarmament matters.
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They had to envision a world that had evolved from settling conflicts by warfare. As the sole multilateral negotiating body on disarmament, the Conference was a forum where changed international circumstances could really bear the fruit of disarmament. This year's International Women's Day seminar encouraged them in their urgently relevant work for disarmament and peace.
The message was signed by: Women's International League for Peace and Freedom; Women's World Summit Foundation, Geneva; Zonta International, Women for Peace, France; Women for Peace, Switzerland; World Federation of Methodist Women; Switzerland Physicians for Social Responsibility; International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear war; International Council of Jewish Women; International Peace Bureau; War Resisters' International; Quaker United Nations Office; International Baccalauréat Organisation; and Inter-African Committee.
Statements
ESTHER MSHAI TOLLE (Kenya) stated that the Conference had reached a critical phase in its work in the quest for the conclusion of the CTBT. The past two years had resulted in commendable progress. As they approached the final hurdle, the task ahead was indeed challenging. Mindful of General Assembly resolution 50/65, adopted unanimously at its last session, which called for a completion of the final text as soon as possible in 1996, it was imperative that the Conference strove diligently in order to arrive at a consensus on all outstanding issues. To that end, she assured the Chairmen of working group I and II of the ad hoc committee on a nuclear test ban of her delegation's continued support.
She appreciated the effort and dedication of the delegations of Iran and Australia, which had presented treaty texts which she was confident would prove to be useful for the negotiating process. Both texts were currently under consideration by her delegation. The time was propitious for increased momentum and the exercise of political will to ensure that a truly comprehensive test ban could be attained within the deadline.
EUMELIO RODRIGUEZ CABALLERO (Cuba) said that for all those who followed the evolution of the work in the Conference on Disarmament, there was the belief that they were a crucial point, not only in connection with the CTBT negotiations, but also with regard to what they wanted as an international community. To attain both those aims, the decisive factor would be the flexibility they demonstrated in carrying out the tasks entrusted to them and the thinking that they contributed, so that they could find the common ground which would lead to solutions. They would be clear in their minds that each State, regardless of its military doctrine, size, political or economic system, or views on disarmament had national interests and the right to defend them on an equal footing with others in any negotiation.
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Mr. Caballero affirmed the attachment of his country to the conclusion of a CTBT that would be a universal, multilateral and effectively verifiable and thus help prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The CTBT should constitute a step in the direction of nuclear disarmament, he emphasized. That step should be followed by concrete measures, so that a nuclear-free world could be attained.
The CTBT should ban totally all nuclear tests, including "sub-critical" experiments, he continued. Giving shape to those objectives in a treaty would have very beneficial effects. The majority of the international community had been advocating that the main priority -- nuclear disarmament -- should be added to the disarmament negotiating table, as had been done with chemical and biological weapons.
His country was deeply committed to the Final Declaration of Cartagena. An ad hoc committee should be established as soon as possible in order to address the question of nuclear disarmament within a given time-frame. What did the nuclear States fear, when the East-West conflict had disappeared? he asked. Why were they maintaining the same military doctrines? They should dedicate the colossal sums now being spent on armaments to more suitable purposes, such as, for example, to help the countless children in Africa, Asia and Latin America who were dying every day for lack of medicines and food. The speaker then addressed in some detail his delegation's views on various elements of the draft CTBT. He welcomed and expressed appreciation for the contribution by Iran and Australia to the negotiations. His Government was currently studying both texts.
GRIGORI BERDENNIKOV (Russian Federation) observed that there had been deep changes in the world scene during recent years. Common efforts at the global level had defeated the cold war. As the President of Russia had stated to the Federal Assembly on 23 February, for the first time in the twentieth century, Russia did not face a real military threat. The same could be said with regard to other countries, such as the United States and Great Britain. Russia and the United States were carrying out reductions of their strategic armaments unprecedented in scope.
Nevertheless, one could not help but notice the problems that had appeared in world politics after the end of the cold war, he continued. He meant not only the escalation of regional and local conflicts or the spread of terrorism, but also the possibility of dangerous geo-political changes, related, first of all, to the intended advancement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military structure to Russia's borders. The drawing of a new division-line in Europe was devoid of any rationale, and it could only be considered as a dangerous provocation aimed against Russia's security interests. It was "backsliding" and thinking in terms of the cold
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war. "The plans to expand NATO poison the entire international climate, and arms control is no exception", he said.
His countrty was also worried by the fact that there were voices in the United States in favour of renouncing the ABM Treaty and creating a territorial ABM defence system prohibited by that Treaty. Should that happen, it would bring the most negative consequences to the disarmament process. The preservation of strategic stability in the world could be in question, which was unacceptable for the national security of all States without exception.
The Russian Federation attached major importance to the historic decision, taken in May 1995, concerning the indefinite extension of the NPT without any conditions, he said. The indefinite extension of the NPT was not a license for any State to possess nuclear weapons eternally. His delegation was in favour of including the problem of nuclear disarmament in the agenda of the Conference as a separate item. It was also time to delete the reference to the cessation of the nuclear arms race as an already accomplished task. It was necessary to elaborate, through joint efforts, the proposals on the contribution that the Conference could make to the solution of that global problem. His delegation was flexible as to the organizational framework of that work.
His country had been consistently in favour of a complete and general nuclear test ban and considered such a measure as an overdue and important step to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and their qualitative improvement. Since it proclaimed its independence, Russia had not conducted a single nuclear explosion, rigorously observing the moratorium it had declared. In large part due to its persistent efforts, it had become possible, in 1994, to launch practical negotiations on the elaboration of the appropriate treaty. The real possibility now existed that the work on the treaty could be completed in 1996. At the same time, it was obvious that the CTBT would not by itself lead to the complete elimination of nuclear weapons.
There was still a lot of work to be done on the way to a world free of nuclear weapons, he said. In that connection, the attempts by some participants to the CTBT negotiations to link the treaty to some time-frames and schedules of the reduction and final elimination of nuclear arsenals might only, taking into account existing political realities, significantly hamper the elaboration of the treaty. The speaker then outlined his delegation's views on a number of elements of the draft treaty.
As to the expansion of the membership of the Conference, he called upon all delegations to put maximum efforts to overcome as soon as possible the actual difficult situation. In particular, he appealed to the United States delegation to consider once again the "pro" and "con" of its special position on the issue of the membership expansion, and to finally make a step forward
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in the direction of all other countries taking part in the work of the Conference. The issue of Slovakia taking up, by agreement with the Czech Republic, the seat previously occupied by Czechoslovakia, was not an issue of membership expansion. It should be resolved separately and without any linkages or delays. Justice with regard to Slovakia should be restored.
GILBERTO VERGNE SABOIA (Brazil) announced that on 27 February the Brazilian Congress had decided to approve the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, signed 13 January 1993 in Paris. The Government would shortly deposit the relevant instrument of ratification with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The Chemical Weapons Convention was the first treaty in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction which was at the same time universal, comprehensive, non-discriminatory and verifiable. Brazil had participated actively in its negotiation and considered it a useful model to be followed in efforts to effectively ban other classes of weapons of mass destruction, such as strengthening the biological weapons Convention, and engaging in negotiations -- which he hoped would commence soon -- for the prohibition and complete elimination of nuclear weapons.
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